Method and apparatus for providing text selection

Abstract

A method for providing selection of a portion of text for touch screen devices may include receiving an indication of a touch gesture in association with a primary word among text being displayed at a touch screen display, causing provision of a selected word indication to indicate inclusion of the primary word as a selected word, causing provision of a pre-selected word indication in relation to at least one secondary word adjacent to the primary word, and enabling expansion of the selected word indication to include the at least one secondary word in response to a touch event selecting the at least one secondary word. A corresponding apparatus and computer program product are also provided.

1 . A method comprising:
 receiving an indication of a touch gesture in association with a primary word among text being displayed at a touch screen display;   causing provision of a selected word indication to indicate inclusion of the primary word as a selected word;   causing provision of a pre-selected word indication in relation to at least one secondary word adjacent to the primary word; and   enabling expansion of the selected word indication to include the at least one secondary word in response to a touch event selecting the at least one secondary word.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising causing provision of the pre-selected word indication with respect to a next adjacent word to a selected secondary word that is included in the selected word indication. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising enabling performance of a selected function with respect to words included in the selected word indication. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein causing provision of the pre-selected word indication comprises causing provision of the pre-selected word indication with respect to a word immediately before the selected word indication and a word immediately after the selected word indication. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing an expanded view of words in the selected word indication. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the touch event responsive to which the expansion of the selected word indication is provided comprises a tap on a secondary word and wherein the touch gesture is a long press event. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein causing provision of the selected word indication comprises highlighting selected words, and wherein causing provision of the pre-selected word indication comprises differently highlighting secondary words positioned adjacent to the selected words. 
     
     
         8 . An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to:
 receive an indication of a touch gesture in association with a primary word among text being displayed at a touch screen display;   cause provision of a selected word indication to indicate inclusion of the primary word as a selected word;   cause provision of a pre-selected word indication in relation to at least one secondary word adjacent to the primary word; and   enable expansion of the selected word indication to include the at least one secondary word in response to a touch event selecting the at least one secondary word.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one memory and computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to cause provision of the pre-selected word indication with respect to a next adjacent word to a selected secondary word that is included in the selected word indication. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one memory and computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to enable performance of a selected function with respect to words included in the selected word indication. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one memory and computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to cause provision of the pre-selected word indication by causing provision of the pre-selected word indication with respect to a word immediately before the selected word indication and a word immediately after the selected word indication. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one memory and computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to provide an expanded view of words in the selected word indication. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the touch event responsive to which the expansion of the selected word indication is provided comprises a tap on a secondary word and wherein the touch gesture is a long press event. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one memory and computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to cause provision of the selected word indication by highlighting selected words, and wherein causing provision of the pre-selected word indication comprises differently highlighting secondary words positioned adjacent to the selected words. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the apparatus is a mobile terminal and further comprises user interface circuitry configured to facilitate user control of at least some functions of the mobile terminal. 
     
     
         16 . A computer program product comprising at least one computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code instructions stored therein, the computer-executable program code instructions including program code instructions to:
 receive an indication of a touch gesture in association with a primary word among text being displayed at a touch screen display;   cause provision of a selected word indication to indicate inclusion of the primary word as a selected word;   cause provision of a pre-selected word indication in relation to at least one secondary word adjacent to the primary word; and   enable expansion of the selected word indication to include the at least one secondary word in response to a touch event selecting the at least one secondary word.   
     
     
         17 . The computer program product of  claim 16 , further comprising program code instructions for causing provision of the pre-selected word indication with respect to a next adjacent word to a selected secondary word that is included in the selected word indication. 
     
     
         18 . The computer program product of  claim 16 , further comprising program code instructions for enabling performance of a selected function with respect to words included in the selected word indication. 
     
     
         19 . The computer program product of  claim 16 , wherein the program code instructions for causing provision of the pre-selected word indication include instructions for causing provision of the pre-selected word indication with respect to a word immediately before the selected word indication and a word immediately after the selected word indication. 
     
     
         20 . The computer program product of  claim 16 , wherein the touch event responsive to which the expansion of the selected word indication is provided comprises a tap on a secondary word and wherein the touch gesture is a long press event.